Harris and Trump head West to woo voters. And, U.S. economy sees solid growth

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Today's top stories

Vice President Harris and former President Donald Trump headed West yesterday to deliver their closing arguments of the campaign to voters in the critical swing states of Arizona and Nevada. Both candidates are hoping to win over Latino voters in the states and talk about border security, one of the biggest issues for the campaign. While in Arizona, Harris criticized remarks Trump made at a rally Wednesday, where he claimed he would protect women "whether the women like it or not." She framed the comment as a warning about the potential consequences of a second Trump presidency for women.

• 🎧 Almost every day this week, Harris has jumped onto things Trump has said to emphasize her argument that he is not fit for office, NPR’s Tamara Keith tells Up First. Trump is working to win Latino voters and distance himself from the “garbage” comment a comedian made about Puerto Rico at one of his rallies. Trump is also trying to take back the narrative after President Biden appeared to say Trump supporters are garbage before clarifying he was talking about the comedian’s bad joke.

The Labor Department will provide an update on the job market this morning. This comes after several economic reports this week that showed the U.S. economy appearing to be in good shape.

• 🎧 The upcoming employment report is expected to indicate significantly slower job growth for October, according to NPR’s Scott Horsley. This slowdown is influenced by factors such as the Boeing strike and other labor disputes, along with the temporary effects of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. During the summer and early fall, consumer spending increased at an annual rate of 3.7%, primarily supported by solid wage gains. Overall, the economic data released this week has been largely positive, with inflation decreasing, wages rising and the economy growing at a healthy pace.

Thousands of union canvassers will be going door-to-door in swing states this weekend because they have a lot at stake in this election. Over the past four years, many feel the Biden-Harris administration has supported them by joining them on picket lines, creating more union jobs through legislation, and expanding overtime pay eligibility. Some say they now view Trump as a threat, as he enacted policies during his presidency that weakened federal employee unions.

• 🎧 NPR’s Andrea Hsu says the unions know that Trump has a lot of support from white, working-class voters, which includes some of their members. While canvassing they plan to highlight comments Trump made recently joking with Elon Musk about firing striking workers reminiscing about how he hated to pay overtime and would just hire more workers to avoid it. Even though they are pulling out large efforts, the persuasion phase of the campaign is largely over, Hsu says. But on the other hand, past research also shows that just asking people if they intend to vote increases the probability that they will.

Behind the story

I’ve had OCD for most of my life. It started in fourth grade as a fear of throwing up and turned into avoiding germs, sick people, any moving vehicle and situations without a clear exit.

By middle school, I couldn’t eat anything without saying a prayer first, or else I was convinced I’d vomit. I had to drop my Spanish minor in college, which required studying abroad, because I refused to board an airplane where I or someone near me may throw up.

I took my first flight in five years in January and have taken 16 flights since then!

Growing up, my parents and I had heard of OCD but didn’t know that it could manifest in the ways I experienced. This lack of understanding delayed my diagnosis and eventual treatment — and I’m not alone.

Those who experience violent or sexual intrusive thoughts also tend to delay getting treatment because they stay quiet, according to Dr. Christopher Pittenger, the director of Yale’s OCD Research Clinic. They know the thoughts they have are irrational, yet can’t get rid of them.

I talked to people who live with a variety of intrusive thoughts about harming themselves or others, questioning their own sexual orientation and breaking up with partners despite being in healthy relationships.

I’m not offended when people say “I’m so OCD” when they really mean “I like to keep my space tidy” — but until there’s a greater understanding of the scope of the disorder, it won’t get any easier for those of us who experience lesser-known forms of OCD to get help.

Weekend picks

Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:

🍿Movies: Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin play cousins in A Real Pain. The film presents a thoughtfully impactful narrative about family, friendship and the burden of the Jewish past, as well as how individuals cope with their histories of suffering.

📺 TV: The Diplomat offers a different vision of politics: one where sharp staffers often take the lead behind the scenes in government, and many involved are genuinely interested in improving lives—even if their actions might lead to negative outcomes. The new season is now on Netflix.

📚 Books: In his memoir, Brothers, Alex Van Halen reflects on his relationship with his younger brother and guitarist Eddie, highlighting the decades they spent making music together.

🎵 Music: After 15 weeks at No.1 on Billboard Hot 100, Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” has been bumped from the top spot by Morgan Wallen’s “Love Somebody.”

🎮 Games: Dragon Age: The Veilguard features excellent combat and charming companions, but you might feel let down if you're seeking a return to the series’ origins.

🥪 Food: Want to bring more excitement to your kid's lunchbox? Here are six quick meals you can crank out in less than 30 minutes.

❓Quiz: A perfect mix of celebrities and politics in this quiz, it is almost like it was made just for me. I aced it, do you think you can match my perfect score?

3 things to know before you go

1. Boeing’s machinists union leaders are endorsing the company’s latest contract offer. This makes way for a Monday vote that could end the seven-week-long strike.
2. Rapper Young Thug’s trial over gang, firearm and drug charges is over. The Atlanta artist changed his plea in a RICO case he faced to guilty yesterday and entered a no-contest plea on several charges.
3. ChatGPT now has a search engine function that will also provide links to sources for answers it gives, according to OpenAI, the company behind the service.

This newsletter was edited by Obed Manuel.